The outbreak of internecine warfare at RIFC is being acted out through a real pea-soup fog right now. The war is being fought on so many fronts that it is difficult to see just exactly how many armies are involved, and how the alliances are shaping up.
Craig Mather would appear to be in the Charles Green camp, but it is difficult to imagine that he would be happy to hear old blunderbuss-mouth peppering Ally McCoist with shot. McCoist’s in-character but inelegant riposte, whilst a valiant attempt at deflection and self-preservation, put his mentor and chairman, Walter Smith in a rather awkward position. It gives Mather a double headache as he tries to head off Clyde Blowers boss Jim McColl – and his blowhard ally Paul Murray – at the EGM-pass.
If Mather stands by Green, and Smith does the same for McCoist, then the two main officers of the company will be in opposite, and hostile, camps.
As I say, making sense of it is difficult, but one thing is as clear as an empty window frame: the acrimony, which has been in existence for months, is only now being aired in public because the season ticket drive is over. The one policy that the warring factions have been in agreement with is “Not in Front of the Children”.
Now that the fans have been compelled to buy season tickets in substantial numbers through a mixture of fear, loyalty and a never-ending stream of press spin telling them that “Rangers are on the cusp of greatness if only the supporters cough up”, it seems acceptable that the real war can begin – but what is the prize?
There can be little doubt that all of the factions are aware that a conservative business model is necessary if Rangers are to establish themselves in Scottish football – certainly a more conservative one than that followed by RFC (IL). I infer therefore that the war is not over a Murray vs McCann approach. My best guess is that the war is one of ideals – between one faction which aims to make as much money in the short term as possible, and another which, whilst not averse to a bit of nest-feathering, sees the health of the club and the notion of a continuity Rangers as paramount.
The trouble for Rangers fans is that it is the former faction which holds all the cards – all the shares in fact. I think that all fans of the game of football would hope that people with football at heart would win out here, irrespective of what their partisan loyalties dictate on a day to day basis.
The problem for either warring faction is that the loyalty of the Rangers fans is finite. The “long road (back)” to the top is one which might engage them for while. It is a great journey which is not without its rewards and adventure, but expectations will be massive if and when they get to the top league. When the acceleration of progress meets the buffers of premier championship aspiration, gate money will be in the front passenger seat. Managing unrealistic expectations is extremely difficult, and evidenced by the use of McCoist’s recruitment sledgehammer to crack the nut of the bottom two divisions.
But here are some questions to which I honestly do not know the answer;
- How does the Rangersness faction wrest control away from these spivs?
- How will the spivs attempt to ensure that the Rangersness faction fails in their objective?
- Can the people in the Rangersness camp REALLY be trusted to act in the best interests of the club even if it is at odds with their own? This, given the close association with the terminal decline of the club they all profess to love.
- Is there any realistic scenario which allows this club to prosper and challenge for honours within a ten to fifteen year period?
My belief is that the key to the new club being able to establish itself is managing the expectations of the fans. Despite the MSM willingness to cut and paste RFC and RIFC press releases unadulterated, the ability of that same MSM to impress a message of realism into Rangers fans is zero. Not in front of the children in fact.
Is it really a sociological bridge too far to expect Rangers fans to turn down the expectation-ometer? I don’t believe it is. In the eighties, if I recall correctly, a seriously underachieving Rangers team were not met with demands for big spending. There was pressure on them to get better managers who could pick better players, but no demands for Fort Knox to be breached. If Rangers fans really want a club called Rangers playing in blue at Ibrox, and competing fully in the game, they need to find leaders who can sell the long-termism of such an aspiration. Many will hope, including the spivs and the MSM, that no such leader emerges.
newtz says:
August 15, 2013 at 11:55 pm
So who owns the assets ……
======================================
Some post my man – too hard for me tonight as a little wine has been imbibed but will enjoy perusing in the morning 😀
Well look as though CF has decided to get back on the offensive ❗
1) Details of Ahmad’s contract: 350k basic + 15k car allowance + 18k rent + other benefits http://imgur.com/7qtHYSp
Very importantly not actually the verbal contract on bonus as first seemed as he had to have written approval from the CEO or Chairman to get his 5% Bonus on commercial contracts. I’m even more convinced he’ll never see the inside of a Scottish civil court room 😈
2) A little barb aimed at Traynor with reference to him having to pull his press release announcing the return of Green as a director. Wonder how the Bears who thought Mather was sweetness and light will react to this little snippet 😉
3) A challenge to Richard Wilson that she’ll spin the beans on Ally and wages if he promises to publish. I would expect Richard to hold the line like the rest of his colleagues. Now is not the time to be brave at the Herald with another 15 journos about to take the redundancy walk with reduced terms. I didn’t actually think there were 15 of them left 🙁
newtz says:
August 15, 2013 at 11:55 pm
“……. ….. … … …. .. …. ….”
————————
You refer initially to Clause lA.2 of the Sale and Purchase Agreement. I had a quick skim of Charlotte’s version but couldn’t spot this clause. What page is it on?
Before you rounded off with your conclusions this para of the legal advice caught my eye:
“As for the torts, Mr Whyte would be able to recover damages calculated on the basis of putting him into the position he would have been in if the torts had not been committed.”
What immediately flashed through my mind was that trashing TRFCL by loading it up with debt might make any recovery by CW 100% of nothing at best. Your conclusions however offer other possibilities.
Continuing collusion between CW and CG/IA cannot be ruled out. The Sevco Scotland obfuscation may just have been for the benefit of our (possibly) easily convince-able Mr. Regan. Between the 29th May and 14th June 2012 you will know that Charlotte’s ‘Statutory Records’ document has Whyte and Earley both as directors:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/144293447/Sevco-5088-Statutory-Records …
Green resignation is given as 15th June 2012.
I was looking in the AIM prospectus for Green’s relationship with Sevco 5088. I couldn’t find any. Perhaps the information I seen concerning Sevco 5088 being a subsidiary company or the suchlike was published late(r).
One thing I did notice in the prospectus is that the land value of Ibrox (£3.7m) and Murray Park (£1.71M) totalises to the rather interesting figure of £5.41M. The kind of assets you might be able to borrow against if you wanted to acquire the business, assets, history and bike for £5.5M.
‘McGill’s bus tycoon Sandy Easdale has bought 1.2 million shares in Rangers Football Club [?!]…’
‘Mr Easdale, who owns the firm with his brother James, made the purchase after former club director Imran Ahmad, who was ejected from the board in April, sold the majority of his 2.2 million shares in the club. A total of 20 separate trades in the club were made yesterday.’
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/bus-tycoon-easdale-buys-12-million-shares-in-rangers.21889883
(PS. I’ve been counting shares for the last half hour but I can’t get back to sleep 😯 )
Now is not the time to be brave at the Herald with another 15 journos about to take the redundancy walk with reduced terms. I didn’t actually think there were 15 of them left 🙁
—-
And to think they paid me for my TV article last year… if they had just asked nicely and promised to stop eating succulent lamb, they could have had it for free!
It seems they might just be moving from the frying pan into the fire down Govan way.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/bus-tycoon-easdale-buys-12-million-shares-in-rangers.21889883
Bus tycoon Easdale buys 1.2 million shares in RangersFriday 16 August 2013 McGill’s bus tycoon Sandy Easdale has bought 1.2 million shares in Rangers Football Club in a hectic day of trading as the power struggle at Ibrox intensifies.
Mr Easdale, who owns the firm with his brother James, made the purchase after former club director Imran Ahmad, who was ejected from the board in April, sold the majority of his 2.2 million shares in the club. A total of 20 separate trades in the club were made yesterday.
Rangers chief executive Craig Mather, consultant Charles Green and finance director Brian Stockbridge are drumming up support in London for the board amid attempts by tycoon Jim McColl to oust key figures.
Mr Easdale and his brother, a board member since July, have long sought to increase their influence at the club and are key allies of Mr Green. The purchase, worth £498,000, brings Sandy Easdale’s individual stake to 2.1% – around a seven-fold increase. His wife Gail and brother are also shareholders.
The Easdale family’s spokesman, Jack Irvine, said: “We said we would buy more shares and we did. We believe in the future of Rangers Football Club.”
Two separate trades of one million shares were made yesterday. It is understood that stockbroker Daniel Stewart, acting for the club, purchased 800,000 shares. No-one at the brokers could confirm this last night.
The sale of Mr Ahmad’s stock sale comes after he revealed he is to launch a £3.4 million legal action against the club for unpaid bonuses and legal fees.
Mr Ahmad is named in the Rangers share prospectus as a key employee and locked-in shareholder bound not to sell his shares until December. However, that agreement was made to Cenkos Securities, the club’s former stockbroker, which was recently replaced by Daniel Stewart.
Selling to Sandy Easdale guarantees further support for the status quo in the club boardroom as Mr McColl tries to oust Mr Mather, Mr Stockbridge and non-executive director Bryan Smart.
It is not clear whether a place on the board is being cleared for Sandy Easdale, who was jailed in 1997 for VAT offences.
===============================
Several interesting things in there, in addition to the Easdale Brothers taking a greater holding in the club.
“Mr Ahmad is named in the Rangers share prospectus as a key employee and locked-in shareholder bound not to sell his shares until December. However, that agreement was made to Cenkos Securities, the club’s former stockbroker, which was recently replaced by Daniel Stewart.”
The implication being that it was an “agreement” with Cenkos rather than something which was permanently binding. Which would explain changing to Daniel Stewart (which I would remiod folk Phil Mac did predict in advance of it happening).
“Selling to Sandy Easdale guarantees further support for the status quo in the club boardroom as Mr McColl tries to oust Mr Mather, Mr Stockbridge and non-executive director Bryan Smart.”
I’m sorry, but it has to be said, the Easdale’s taking a more prominent stance is an unsubtle move when the boardroom opponents are Scottish businessmen. It really is a case of you might want to “oust” me but what about my pal with the big stick. Like I said, unsubtle.
One last thing.
“The Easdale family’s spokesman, Jack Irvine, said: “We said we would buy more shares and we did. We believe in the future of Rangers Football Club.”
So Mr Irvine did not go that far away from Govan and is, as they say “ready” to step up to the plate. Can we expect the dirt and propaganda on anyone who stands against the Easdale’s side, whichever that happens to be.
These are significant developments, and not in a good way. Unfortunately I expect the Rangers’ fans to lap it up, as the Easdale’s will be portrayed as “Rangers Men” who will look after the club and it’s fans and take no nonsense. There may be quite the quandry though, if the Easdale’s are actually on Green’s (et al) side they will be getting mixed messages. We want Green etc out, but we want the Easdale’s there, but they are in the Green camp. Quite the conundrum.
It really is moving into the bad film realms with this lot coming to the fore. It’s small wonder that Jim McColl has made it clear he will not be buying into the club any more than the paltry few shares he currently has.
Given that a bus company is up for sale, are the owners
A) preparing for retirement
B) planning to buy a significant stake in a brand new football team
C). Acting on advice from a media advisor about how to raise your ‘respect’ rating amongst the Scottish business community
D) investing money in a hopeless basket case of an institution because ‘it’s the right thing to do’
Just to go off topic for a minute, I just posted this on my blog, re: the tv deals in South East Asia.
http://saintinasia.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/epl-southeast-asia-tv-blackout-wheres-the-spfl/
Many of you probably realise that the English leagues have sold their rights for an astronomical 5.5 Billion this season, much of it coming from overseas. However, one major issue is that the ‘buyers’ haven’t managed to sell their rights on to the local stations.
In South East Asia we have had StarSports (part of ESPN – now FoxSports) air the football for the past 5 years. This year the football will be on a channel called beIN Sports. The problem is beIN sports isn’t broadcast in any of the following: Taiwan, HK, Vietnam, Cambodia, China or Philippines. Indonesia have the channel available only in Jakarta and Thailand have the channel but dont have enough new boxes to go around!
So, my thinking was:
If English football will be unavailable for at least the next two seasons to the normal man in South East Asia, isn’t this a great time for the Scottish to get in on the act? Why couldn’t we OFFER the rights to Scottish Live Football for the next few seasons to FoxSportsAsia (the most available sports channel in South East Asia) for FREE. Yes, for FREE. Hell, why don’t we just throw in the broadcast costs for FREE as well?
Just think of the exposure we would have in SouthEast Asia. Just think of the MILLIONS of extra viewers for Scottish football. Think of the extra shirt sales alone…
Infact, maybe this is what Charles Green had in mind when he started talking about a 500m global fan base… Afterall, Man Utd claim 350m in this region alone!
And you never know… without ANY competition people might actually realise watching Scottish Football is not all that bad, and in a couple of years time we might actually be able to CHARGE for the product.
As St.Johnstone and others decided last year, it is time to ensure future generations grow up watching football. The free kids initiatives seem to be creating the next generation of football fans. The opportunity is there RIGHT NOW (not in 5 years time – NOW) for the new Scottish Professional Football League to create a whole new generation of Scottish fans and take them from under the noses of our money grabbing neighbors to the south.
A pipe dream? Probably… But it would put Scottish Football on the Asian map for minimal expense…
Stewart Regan can contact me now and I’ll even help him set it up. He’d have saved himself a lot of embarrassment if he’d listened to me last year…
On another note, here’s the BDO financial survey talked about earlier this week. Will read over weekend and maybe do an analysis next week if I get a chance
http://fcbusiness.co.uk/cms/thesite/public/uploads/uploadsbank/1376383081_229.pdf
“The Easdale family’s spokesman, Jack Irvine, said:…………
Blimey
You really couldn`t make this up…………………
A `club` within a `club` – with TWO noxious PR camps
Not looking good
stevensanph says: August 16, 2013 at 8:18 am
Just to go off topic for a minute, I just posted this on my blog, re: the tv deals in South East Asia…
=========================
Give the Scottish football TV rights away for free for a couple of seasons to develop new markets? !
Stenensanph, it’s that sort of radical thinking that just won’t be acceptable at the SFA in particular.
I mean, these foreigners won’t know how to do a funny handshake for starters… 🙄
The incompetents at the SFA / SPFL are holding Scottish football back.
Great idea Asia’s ain Saintee 🙂
Also a bit OT, but have just read an article in the Danish broadsheet Politiken about the EU once again looking at the huge tax debts of Spanish clubs (financial doping?). Main points: 2 x big clubs sitting on most of the TV revenue (where else had I heard that until recently?), government frightened of the clubs (fabric of society?), unfair advantage over clubs from Germany, France and England (international bampottery?), and the fact that debts have been written off 3 x times before (it was legal at the time, no doubt). It’s unrelated but only serves to confirm my belief that clubs living within their means should gain first access to the CL. Clubs with huge tax debts should not even be in the competition. Of course, say that, and you’ll hear someone mention Armageddon (European Doncasterism?). Well, bring it on.
Ja, Skotsk fodbold har sandelig brug for en stærk Arbroath 🙂
Regan and Doncaster are….komplet spild af plads
Did I get that right Danish?
Danish Pastry says:
August 16, 2013 at 8:57 am
=============================
‘Doncasterism’ now that certainly rolls off the tongue in any language I would reckon 😉
helpmaboab says:
August 16, 2013 at 9:29 am
1 0 Rate This
Regan and Doncaster are….komplet spild af plads
Did I get that right Danish?
———-
Haha, well I understood it, and it’s also true 🙂
I just did a search on CO and I find that he left Rangers in a bloodless coup after much of his position was taken over by Mr Bain. As Auldheid mentioned he was given an office at the SFA before being taken on by Hearts, unemployed for a couple of months. I also found this article on him where he talks about his time at Rangers and crowds of less than 10,000 and the barren years. More interestingly mentions about how there used to be a wage structure at Ibrox and that Davie Holmes with the arrival of Souness dropped it. You could argue that that is where it all started to go wrong. Here’s an excerpt.
Ogilvie’s career in football administration began at the Scottish Football League, where he worked for eight years before being head-hunted by Rangers in 1978 by then managing director Willie Waddell to become secretary at Ibrox. In almost three decades with Rangers, Ogilvie was a central if seldom publicly visible figure during dramatic times.
He told The Scotsman: “I was sorry to leave Rangers, but I was fortunate to be there 27 years through a lot more good times than bad times. There were certainly a lot of interesting times.
“When I first joined under Willie Waddell, who was a great influence on me, I was heavily involved in the construction of the new stadium. The club was ahead of its time there, maybe for the wrong reasons in some ways because of the Ibrox disaster, but we were very proactive in that sense.
“That dominated the first three years I spent at Rangers and we hit a spell after that when results were not going well. I remember one game when there were only 9,000 fans at Ibrox. The average gate at that time was only around 19,000. I came to the club three months after they had won the league in ’78, and I was starting to get a complex because it was so long until they won it again. People talk about nine in a row, but I can tell them about nine years in a row at Ibrox without winning the league.”
The barren spell ended in 1987, the first season under the player-management of Graeme Souness. Yet it was 20 years ago this month that the Ibrox revolution, which changed both Rangers and the rest of Scottish football, really began. In November 1985, David Holmes was appointed to the Rangers board by Lawrence Marlbrough, the Nevada-based businessman who bought a controlling interest in the club.
With perhaps some parallels to Vladimir Romanov at Hearts now, Holmes cut an unflinching path through all the old certainties of Scottish football to transform Rangers as a club.
“He was a very dynamic character, a hard-nosed businessman, and his approach was very new to football back then,” recalls Ogilvie.
“When I was clearing out my desk at Ibrox before I left recently, I found an old salary schedule. I would never reveal players’ individual salaries but in general terms, at the time David Holmes came in, we had a standard wage structure and the top weekly wage was £300. The first thing he did 20 years ago was abolish that wage structure. He then went out and recruited Graeme Souness.
“It was a very well-kept secret. Even at the press conference itself, people were taken aback. I remember the looks of astonishment when I read the statement out in the Blue Room that day. We knew around three weeks before then that Graeme would be coming and we knew there were exciting times ahead. I don’t think we appreciated just how exciting they would be.
“The standard of players who came to Rangers under Graeme was incredible. If we are honest, we did get a lot of those players because English clubs were banned from Europe at the time. There were other factors, but that was a major one along with the improved wage structure and Graeme’s standing in the game.
“My role at Rangers changed dramatically about two-and-a-half years ago when I stopped doing the day-to-day administration, but it was still a bit of a wrench when I did leave.”
Ogilvie is now in a position to fully embrace the emergence of Hearts and Hibs to challenge the duopoly of Rangers and Celtic this season, and he believes there are healthier times ahead generally for Scottish clubs.
“There is a polarisation in most leagues throughout Europe, with fewer teams challenging at the top, but that has turned around in Scotland this year with Hearts and Hibs,” he said. “We have more home developed players at most clubs and our UEFA co-efficient is not far short of having 50 per cent of the SPL playing in Europe. I would love to see that being established and then as many of our clubs as possible taking it on to the next level by staying in Europe beyond Christmas on a regular basis.
“That was probably the biggest disappointment of my time at Rangers, that the club didn’t sustain European campaigns more often.”
A quotation which is quite apt really in this omnishambles
Arguing with people who have lost all sense of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.” —Thomas Paine
Well the CF ‘dam’ is breaking in a strange place today. Leggoland is actually running a story on the SFA/Rangers exchange based on Charlotte’s documents.
Thjs really is a bit of a breakthrough for CF’s material because the Bear sites have tended to try and ignore her flood of info.
Now it would appear that in the whole of Scotland only the SMSM has taken a conscious decision to ignore CF and what she brings to the table. They truly are doomed if some Bears start reading her stuff and learning how journos and the SFA effectively stiffed Rangers even though that was never their actual intention. Let’s hope the Bears find, if not a little peace, at least a true understanding of what has gone down based on fact and not the PR spin enthusiastically swallowed by the media and regurgitated ad nauseum.
The fans are deluded if they think that they have any say in whatever it is that is about to happen
davythelotion says:
August 16, 2013 at 7:40 am
Given that a bus company is up for sale
========================================
I’ve seen a few people mention this and wondered where the news of the sale of a bus company actually comes from ❓
newtz says:
August 15, 2013 at 11:55 pm
“… if the Club Assets were transferred from Sevco 5088 to Sevco Scotland post acquisition, then what was consideration for the transfer? Where is it? If it were left outstanding as a debt then why has Green applied to the Registrar of Companies to have the holder of such a valuable asset struck off?”
Is it a known that Green is the one doing the applying, and presumably Whyte/Earley blocking it? Might it be the other way round? if …
” … an administrator or liquidator of Sevco 5088 could make an applica-tion to the court for the return of the Club Assets or an application could be made pursuant to s190 of the Companies Act for their return.”
… which would see these assets liquidated and the proceeds divided pro rata between shareholders or creditors (the former being Whyte and Earley and maybe Green, and the latter also likely to be these three and maybe Imran Ahmad, by some arrangement not yet clear).
Briggsbhoy 9.59
So we are asked to believe that a guy who was at Rangers from 1978 and had an old wage structure in his drawer, had no idea when he left in late 2005 that Rangers had been using a tax scheme to pay two of their biggest signings, Flo and DeBoer and that HMRC had been asking questions about their contracts?
We are asked to believe that a man of his great administrative experience never made a connection between the HMRC enquiry and what had been registered at the SFA?
Fair doos, it was MIH who acted and responded not Rangers but the idea folk inside Ibrox were totally ignorant of the enquiry and the misleading response does stretch credulity to breaking point.
Auldheid says:
August 16, 2013 at 11:58 am
So we are asked to believe that a guy who was at Rangers from 1978 and had an old wage structure in his drawer, had no idea when he left in late 2005 that Rangers had been using a tax scheme to pay two of their biggest signings, Flo and DeBoer and that HMRC had been asking questions about their contracts?
We are asked to believe that a man of his great administrative experience never made a connection between the HMRC enquiry and what had been registered at the SFA?
Fair doos, it was MIH who acted and responded not Rangers but the idea folk inside Ibrox were totally ignorant of the enquiry and the misleading response does stretch credulity to breaking point.
=============================================================================
He’s either a bare faced liar or completely incompetent. It’s not surprising that a person with these characteristics won’t resign. Why hasn’t he been marched out the door?
I note that there were 4 separate 1m share transactions yesterday.
STV and the Herald indicate 1.2m were bought by Sandy Easdale.
Sandy is, of course not on the board like his brother James.
If James bought the shares then we would need to see later today or Monday, Regulatory News of Directorship share dealings.
Similarly if Sandy or James’ stake got over the 3% threshold then Regulatory News would have to be posted a la Laxey’s increased holding the other day
Remember some time ago we were told the Easdales had a 6% stake in the club (that would be 3.9m shares) only to find that James declared a mere 5071629 shares or 0.7% of the 65m shares issued to date.
http://news.stv.tv/west-central/232357-rangers-malcolm-murray-and-phil-cartmell-leave-board/
Is it Sandy who supposedly owns the majority of the Easdale’s shares and therefore, unless he joins the board or goes over 3%, will we ever truly find out exactly how many the brothers have in combination?
Unless there is Regulatory News over the next few days then Sandy can only hold under 3% with James having 0.7% as announced to date.
If Sandy is the major player then why is it James who is on the board?
Are they trying to hedge their bets on this gamble?
Or is the information being put out there as a load of bluster from one side?
wottpi says:
August 16, 2013 at 12:26 pm
=============================
I think another family member may also hold shares.
wottpi says:
August 16, 2013 at 12:26 pm
==================
James is presented as the acceptable face of the Grim Bros. I’ve been told that even the lodge refused to accept Sandy as a member.
blu says:
August 16, 2013 at 12:49 pm
Yes I saw it mentioned that his wife has a shareholding but that could match Jim McColl’s migthy £2.65 or whatever. Presumably he took advice from Campbell Ogilivie on how to hide shares by transferring them to your wife’s name 🙂
The fact remains that they are keeping there shareholding under wraps but in combination it can only be a max of 3 time 2.99 or 8.97% at max. Unless of course their grannies, cousins and others are all in on the game.
Blu
——
Why CO not marched out of the door is simple he would have to march himself. No baws in sfa apart from Campbells.
He certainly has earned some money for knowing nothing.
He is corrupt to the core like his old club and the sfa.
cobhoy says:
August 16, 2013 at 10:56 am
6 0 Rate This
davythelotion says:
August 16, 2013 at 7:40 am
Given that a bus company is up for sale
========================================
I’ve seen a few people mention this and wondered where the news of the sale of a bus company actually comes from?
========================================
I imagine the people buying it are the same ones involved in the sale and lease back of MP 🙄
Newtz says;
August 15, 2013 @ 11:55 p.m
“Who owns the assets?”
Carl31 says;
August 16 @ 10:57 a.m.
Some post right enough.
Okay I think I get the correlation between sevco5088(CW) (AE)- CG, >sevco scotland. (CG duped CW) ahem…
Regarding the assets, who does actually own them?…And where does RIFC sit amidst this recycling plan?
Does anybody apart from CW CG SDM Bomber, Ally and Walter know?
Sorry if already mentioned but good to see the Hearts Foundation being named as the preferred bidder.
At least that gives the fans some certainty as to who is taking things forward. A long journey ahead but at least it appears it is people with an interest in the club who are taking the process forward.
Best wishes and good luck to them.
Sunincapricorn says:
August 16, 2013 at 1:20 pm
Newtz says;
August 15, 2013 @ 11:55 p.m
Carl31 says;
August 16 @ 10:57 a.m.
Regarding the assets, who does actually own them? Does anybody apart from CW CG SDM Bomber, Ally and Walter know?
=================================================
IMO Walter and McCoist don’t have a scoobie who owns the assets and although Bomber suspected skullduggery right from the start I don’t think he ever had any actual proof.
I think CW and Ahmad know the full story but I would even put Green at having no more than a 50/50 chance of knowing. Never forget that Green is the up-front salesman hired to get investment. that’s what he’s good at and his whole career has been based on that.
But he isn’t the brains behind it – of that I’m sure.
Sugar Daddy says:
August 16, 2013 at 1:09 pm
ecobhoy says:
August 16, 2013 at 10:56 am
davythelotion says:
August 16, 2013 at 7:40 am
Given that a bus company is up for sale
========================================
I’ve seen a few people mention this and wondered where the news of the sale of a bus company actually comes from?
========================================
I imagine the people buying it are the same ones involved in the sale and lease back of MP 🙄
=============================================
Yea but where did the story start as I can’t find any actual evidence about any bus company up for sale. It looks like another myth that has grown legs and is turning into a squirrel.
newtz says;
August 16, 2013 at 1:28 pm.
Thanks for the response newtz.
I was just wondering what RIFC’s position is with regard to the assets.
I’m a very poor layman when it comes to these deals and shenanigans in the boardroom.
It may well be too late now in any event, yet there are still those on Mcmurdo’s blog and elsewhere advocating status quo. Is it any wonder the fans are totally bewildered?
Even Leggo and BMcm are on opposite sides of the bank.
What a mess.
I’m quite curious about the current documentation being published by Charlotte. Much of the previous material seemed to be of a “historic” nature, from @2011 and early 2012. Now CF seems to be publishing more recent material from 2013.
I’m not sure what conclusions to draw from that, around who is providing the material, however if you are looking in CF my heartfelt request would be that you finally publish the 5 way agreement. Given some of the recent SFA oriented material, I cannot believe that you don’t have it.
As far as I’m concerned this is the single most important document we require to fully understand the governance corruption that occurred.
Auldheid says:
August 16, 2013 at 11:58 am
valentinesclown says:
August 16, 2013 at 1:07 pm
blu says:
August 16, 2013 at 12:14 pm
Couldn’t agree more with you Auldheid on the knowledge of salaries awarded. He admits here that he knew there was an improved wage structure and the knowledge of what was going on could only have diminished in the two years before he left. He took the 3 monkeys approach to administration. Did he not get that EBT on leaving and he should have got standard redundancy terms? Bain and Rangers of course gave him an EBT because it likely saved them money. I would thought however a man of his position and salary would have to be given 6 months notice which would have been a hefty tax free redundancy payment if done properly so why the EBT or was that over and above standard terms ?
“There were other factors, but that was a major one along with the improved wage structure and Graeme’s standing in the game.
“My role at Rangers changed dramatically about two-and-a-half years ago when I stopped doing the day-to-day administration, but it was still a bit of a wrench when I did leave.”
wottpi says:
August 16, 2013 at 1:22 pm
Sorry if already mentioned but good to see the Hearts Foundation being named as the preferred bidder.
At least that gives the fans some certainty as to who is taking things forward. A long journey ahead but at least it appears it is people with an interest in the club who are taking the process forward.
Best wishes and good luck to them.
===
I still fail to see how the company which has a hold on Tynecastle (cannot remember if it is UBIG or Ukio Bank) will just “give that up”.
I don’t claim to know all the details but I think this could end up as FoH owning the “club” while some other entity (either current owner or new owner) ends up with “Tynie” but renting it out to the club.
They’ll still do down though, he said Hibbily…. 🙂
cowanpete says:
August 16, 2013 at 2:50 pm
===============================
cowanpete, are the two main creditors not bust? UKIO and UBIG admins want the quickest and most liquid resolution they can find. FOH offer could be declined of course but it would appear that there isn’t a long queue of credible bidders to buy the real estate. Unless Imran Ahmad wants to re-invest his new-found loot?
cowanpete says:
August 16, 2013 at 2:50 pm
Agreed, there seems a long way to go and it doesn’t look like anyone has a handle on how the Lithuainians will view things.
Best thing form the Jambos would be that they take some money and wash their hands of the whole affair.
As for going down I suppose Hearts fans are comforted that by the fact that their -15 is really only -3 given the guaranteed 12 pts while Pat Fenlon remains in charge down Easter Road. 🙂
52. briggsbhoy says:
August 16, 2013 at 2:33 pm
On EBT payments, taxation and loans.
Just to clear something up, as I understand it. The sub-trust makes a “loan” payment to the person and no tax is due (at that point, let’s ignore the money going in for now, the really important part). There is or seems to be a general understanding that the beneficiary doesn’t really have much of a say in how that is treated, they can ask for a loan and they might get it or they might not. The trustees make that decision. (Believe that if you will but it is the theory).
However it really isn’t as simple as that. Once they have the money they can choose to keep it , rather than have it as a loan to them. They simply have to pay the tax due on the payment and it is theirs to keep without worrying about repaying it.
So basically, if any of these people have loans outstanding, on which no tax has been paid, it is because they choose that to be the case. Basically they really don’t want to have to pay their way like the rest of us.
Again, just my understanding.
Tif Finn says:
August 16, 2013 at 5:59 am
It seems they might just be moving from the frying pan into the fire down Govan way.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/bus-tycoon-easdale-buys-12-million-shares-in-rangers.21889883
..
Two separate trades of one million shares were made yesterday. It is understood that stockbroker Daniel Stewart, acting for the club, purchased 800,000 shares. No-one at the brokers could confirm this last night.
==============================================
I’m not surprised that no-one at the brokers could confirm this. 😳 😯
Without shareholder approval the company cannot make a purchase of its own ordinary shares (CA 2006, Part 18 Chapter 4) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/part/18/chapter/4
Perhaps the company has issued a class of redeemable shares? Does anyone know if this is the case? If so, how many?
Or has there been a general meeting seeking shareholder approval? If so, when did it take place?
Perhaps the Herald have just got it wrong. 😕
Tif Finn says:
August 16, 2013 at 3:09 pm
So in essence are we saying that once you agree to accept the money you can either
1) treat it as a loan with an intention to pay it back at some point in your life 😉
2) Regard it as a salary payment at some point in your life and pay the tax due on it.
Is the loan open ended and when do you have to declare it as one or the other ? What if the company that leant you the money went into administration, could the administrators call in these loans ?
HirsutePursuit says:
August 16, 2013 at 3:16 pm
“It is understood that stockbroker Daniel Stewart, acting for the club, purchased 800,000 shares. ”
++++++++++++++++++
Acting for “the club”. That could be The Rangers Football Club Ltd (Sevco) buying RIFC shares. As with other statements emanating from these sources “acting for the club” has whatever meaning they decide they might want to apply in the future, and which can be changed, if necessary, or explained away in a letter. Does the SFA have a clue as to what is going on here? (rhetorical question)
briggsbhoy says:
August 16, 2013 at 2:33 pm
——————————————–
“My role at Rangers changed dramatically about two-and-a-half years ago when I stopped doing the day-to-day administration, but it was still a bit of a wrench when I did leave.”
——————————————–
briggsbhoy, my eyes pricked up when I read this. The guy is a complete fraud. In Speirs puff piece the other day, he claimed that in the 27 (that’s right, twenty seven) years at Ibrox he wasn’t involved in the day to day detail. Yet here’s the DR article from 2005 in which he flatly contradicts his most recent assertion.
And the other bit was about his poor wee wife whom he wanted to keep out of the harsh limelight but whom the nasty internet bampots were dragging into the furore.
If that’s the case, why did CO stick her up there not once but twice in the padded seats at Hampden to present the cup, the environs of her ample coupon burnished with a couple of bawbees bought with money on which no tax had been paid?
“Speirs and Jackson, the tools not to trust”
54 (carats) to 0 (publicity please, we’re the Ogilvies)
blu says:
cowanpete, are the two main creditors not bust? UKIO and UBIG admins want the quickest and most liquid resolution they can find. FOH offer could be declined of course but it would appear that there isn’t a long queue of credible bidders to buy the real estate. Unless Imran Ahmad wants to re-invest his new-found loot?
___________________________________________________________________
It’s not quite as simple as this blu.
Certain assets have been frozen by the Lithuanian Government while they investigate Vladimir Romanov. No-one is sure what impact this may specifically have but it may mean no sale is possible. The seriousness of VR’s actions are not quite apreciated here in Scotland I think. The Lithuanian public have lost a lot of tax (sound familiar), and banks going bust has caused a big stooshie. I believe it’s wishful thinking by Hearts fans that they are just going to hand over everything for cheap, or even at all until the probe into VR is done. That could take years.
Also, Tynecastle is held as security by Ukio Bankas against a rather considerable debt, which again I don’t believe is something that the Lithuanian admins will just wave away lightly. They are under considerable public pressure at home, and I really don’t think given that, that they will care too much about the feelings of Scottish football fans. The sale of the land for commercial use remains a real option for them (IMHO).
Whilst it’s commendable that FOH have received preferred bidder status, there is still a long way to go through a fairly complex set of conditions. That’s not to say that Hearts and their ground cannot be saved, I just don’t think it’s as easy as the Scottish meeja and Hearts fans would like to think it is.
Full disclosure; as I have mentioned before, like Cowanpete, I am a Hibs fan. I am certainly not gloating over Hearts predicament, as for one thing I have the utmost respect for Easy and Ally Jambo and their contributions here. I will now go and wallow in my own current misery over Hibs footballing free-fall 🙁
From a thread ‘header’ of a well known blogger on RM [won’t post link]
=======================================================
“…The old adage that “truth is the first casualty of war” has certainly held true. In the midst of all this carnage is a support rightfully concerned about their club and looking for answers and information…
…But in every war there is always collateral damage. Perhaps the lasting indictment of this conflict will be that the Rangers support will have to return to the Scottish press to glean objective, agenda free information, with regard to what is happening at our club. ”
==============================================
“Looking for answers and information” – but ignore that information if you don’t like the source, e.g. RTC.
“have to return to the Scottish press” – have they still not sussed out the Scottish press after all this time ?
The TRFC debacle – and their fans – are effectively a noisy irrelevance now, [ but highly entertaining 😉 ]
The print MSM is in terminal decline, and their woeful TRFC reporting is just helping that along.
The real interest – for me anyway – is the eventual confirmation of SFA corruption.
Once that is in the open, and generally reported and accepted as fact – we will then have the clearout and hopefully a rebranded ‘SFA’ fit for purpose.
“Acting for the Club”
This phrase and the fact that can mean one of a number of things, sums up where the SFA have dragged Scottish Football to.
Previous interpretations werent open – it was the legal entity, recognised by the SFA membership and licence, that was referred to. It wasnt the holding company, or the sporting side, or the owner operator.
New interpretations were given credence as the blazers fell over themselves – and still do – because there must be A Rangers, that Rangers must be helped where possible and arses in the corridors of SFA must be covered.
redetin says:
August 16, 2013 at 3:52 pm
0 0 Rate This
HirsutePursuit says:
August 16, 2013 at 3:16 pm
“It is understood that stockbroker Daniel Stewart, acting for the club, purchased 800,000 shares. ”
++++++++++++++++++
Acting for “the club”. That could be The Rangers Football Club Ltd (Sevco) buying RIFC shares. As with other statements emanating from these sources “acting for the club” has whatever meaning they decide they might want to apply in the future, and which can be changed, if necessary, or explained away in a letter. Does the SFA have a clue as to what is going on here? (rhetorical question)
==============================================
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/section/136
Doesn’t matter. CA 2006, Chapter 4, S.136 prohibits a subsidiary from holding shares in its parent company. Either way, it is a complete no no.
The more I think about this, the more I have to think that the Herald have got it wrong.
Why would the club want to buy back its own shares? Why would the club and broker put themselves in this situation?
Even if there were a tranche of redeemable shares – and I don’t think there are – they would be bought back “off-market”. The same would be true if the buy-backs had belonged to an (ex)employee’s and were being re-purchased as part of a contractual obligation.
It just seems too unlikely that this could have happened. But then again…. 🙄
Off topic but it needs saying.
The blog is at it’s best right now.
Well done all. 😀
Bangordub says:
Off topic but it needs saying.
The blog is at it’s best right now.
Well done all.
________________________________________
😳 😳 😳 awwwww shucks, you got me all embarrased now 😀
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/mysterious-ways/
The Five Way Agreement may prove to be the most important document in all of this.
I’d like to see that published very soon
stevensanph says:
August 16, 2013 at 8:18 am
58
0
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Just to go off topic for a minute, I just posted this on my blog, re: the tv deals in South East Asia.
http://saintinasia.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/epl-southeast-asia-tv-blackout-wheres-the-spfl/
Many of you probably realise that the English leagues have sold their rights for an astronomical 5.5 Billion this season, much of it coming from overseas. However, one major issue is that the ‘buyers’ haven’t managed to sell their rights on to the local stations.
In South East Asia we have had StarSports (part of ESPN – now FoxSports) air the football for the past 5 years. This year the football will be on a channel called beIN Sports. The problem is beIN sports isn’t broadcast in any of the following: Taiwan, HK, Vietnam, Cambodia, China or Philippines. Indonesia have the channel available only in Jakarta and Thailand have the channel but dont have enough new boxes to go around!
So, my thinking was:
If English football will be unavailable for at least the next two seasons to the normal man in South East Asia, isn’t this a great time for the Scottish to get in on the act? Why couldn’t we OFFER the rights to Scottish Live Football for the next few seasons to FoxSportsAsia (the most available sports channel in South East Asia) for FREE. Yes, for FREE. Hell, why don’t we just throw in the broadcast costs for FREE as well?
Just think of the exposure we would have in SouthEast Asia. Just think of the MILLIONS of extra viewers for Scottish football. Think of the extra shirt sales alone…
Infact, maybe this is what Charles Green had in mind when he started talking about a 500m global fan base… Afterall, Man Utd claim 350m in this region alone!
And you never know… without ANY competition people might actually realise watching Scottish Football is not all that bad, and in a couple of years time we might actually be able to CHARGE for the product.
As St.Johnstone and others decided last year, it is time to ensure future generations grow up watching football. The free kids initiatives seem to be creating the next generation of football fans. The opportunity is there RIGHT NOW (not in 5 years time – NOW) for the new Scottish Professional Football League to create a whole new generation of Scottish fans and take them from under the noses of our money grabbing neighbors to the south.
A pipe dream? Probably… But it would put Scottish Football on the Asian map for minimal expense…
Stewart Regan can contact me now and I’ll even help him set it up. He’d have saved himself a lot of embarrassment if he’d listened to me last year…
++++++++++++++++++++++
I thought that suggestion worth checking out with someone I know in the TV Rights trade and someone in the business side of the game.
The former said
Interesting read.
Some rights-holders have even been known to buy themselves airtime in order to get some exposure for their events. I’m not sure the SPFL could give the rights away this season though as I understand an agency, Sportfive owns the international TV rights to the SPFL, or at least it had a deal with the SPL that doesn’t expire until the end of 2013-14 season. I think the league would have to buy those rights back from Sportfive to be able to then give them away. I suspect the league doesn’t really have the cash to do that though!
Another agency, MP & Silva takes over the rights from 2014-15 and I expect they will secure TV coverage for the league in the markets the blogger mentions, as they are in partnership with the broadcaster, beIN Sport.
The latter contact agreed with above but passed your post links on to the TV guys.
Ya never kinow 🙂
ecobhoy says:
August 16, 2013 at 1:33 pm
———————————————————————————————————————————————–
Like everyone else I have yet to see anything to firm up the story about the Easdales selling their bus company, but perhaps I might add fuel to the fire with this repost:
http://imageshack.us/a/img199/1541/ag9g.jpg
Perhaps wee Craig Whyte has decided to add to his collection?
http://busandcoachforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=17788
Next you’ll be telling me (-S)DM makes buses and the Easdales are customers of his. You really couldn’t make this stuff up.
Post script to Charlotte’s revelation about discussions between Rangers PR team at Media House and the BBC on sectarian singing days before the Scottish Cup Final when Rob and Pat coincidentally raised the issue. Beeb said this:
“Thank you for your request to the BBC seeking the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:
– Any minutes or notes of meetings or conversations between Media House and BBC officials on 16 May 2011 – information should include but not be limited to listing those present, issues discussed and any agreements or decisions arising from such meetings or conversations.
– All editorial notes on BBC Sportscene’s live coverage of the Scottish Cup Final including, but not limited to, decisions to reference sectarian singing at the cup final, and list of those BBC officials responsible for editorial content in that coverage.
– BBC Scotland submissions (related to handling complaints about Rob McLean and Pat Nevin’s comments at half time during the Scottish Cup Final in 2011 about sectarian singing) to other BBC departments/Trust under its complaints procedures and any related notes of meetings between or involving BBC Scotland officials (including their names).
The information you have requested is excluded from the Act because it is held for the purposes of ‘journalism, art or literature.’ The BBC is therefore not obliged to provide this information to you. Part VI of Schedule 1 to FOIA provides that information held by the BBC and the other public service broadcasters is only covered by the Act if it is held for ‘purposes other than those of journalism, art or literature”. The BBC is not required to supply information held for the purposes of creating the BBC’s output or information that supports and is closely associated with these creative activities.
However, on this occasion, I am happy to note the following.
BBC Scotland Sports staff did not hold or attend any meetings with Media House or enter into any discussions with Media House, either before or after the 2011 Scottish Cup Final.
Media House did facilitate an interview with former Rangers’ player, Sandy Jardine, for possible inclusion within the BBC Scotland News documentary Bombs, Bigotry and Football, which was broadcast on BBC One Scotland on Wednesday 18 May 2011 and which examined the impact of sectarianism on Scottish football and society.
To inform the contents of the documentary, the documentary investigations team spoke to Strathclyde Police about definitions of sectarian chants and songs. No such enquiries were made of Media House. The full editorial responsibility for BBC Scotland programmes and content lies entirely with BBC Scotland and is not influenced in any way by any external party or parties.
The limited application of the Act to public service broadcasters was to protect freedom of expression and the rights of the media under Article 10 European Convention on Human Rights (“ECHR”). The BBC, as a media organisation, is under a duty to impart information and ideas on all matters of public interest and the importance of this function has been recognised by the European Court of Human Rights. Maintaining our editorial independence is a crucial factor in enabling the media to fulfil this function.
That said, the BBC makes a huge range of information available about our programmes and content on bbc.co.uk. We also proactively publish information covered by the Act on our publication scheme and regularly handle requests for information under the Act.”
Castofthousands says:August 16, 2013 at 1:52 am
newtz says:
August 15, 2013 at 11:55 pm
“……. ….. … … …. .. …. ….”
————————
You refer initially to Clause lA.2 of the Sale and Purchase Agreement. I had a quick skim of Charlotte’s version but couldn’t spot this clause. What page is it on?
——————————————————————————
Ah ha ….. you won’t find it CoT because that snippet is direct from the Regan letter to MM in response to CG letter …..
http://www.scribd.com/doc/160457671/SFA-reply-to-RIFC
So that tells us that there is an seperate SPA between RFC(IL) and Sevco Scotland ….. indeed Regan states such … and he has extracted a key statement for us …..
that Sevco 5088 Limited assigned to Sevco Scotland Limited “its whole right title and interest in and to the Offer Letter”
It’s starting to unwind at last …..
There would have had to have been a high burden of proof to convince D&P that such an assignation could happen …… I repeat …… A high burden of proof ….. without D&P being exposed to claims of collusion in fraud ….
I suspect that the audio where we hear IA on the phone to Patrick (FFW) and describing to CW where to sign …. is the assignation document ….. I have previously called it the ‘Patrick doc(s)’ ….. Why is Charlotte NOT releasing it ?? …. CW must have been given/sent a copy ….. otherwise he is a complete idiot ….. so far he has proven he is not !
The suspicion arises then that there is a further doc/agreement protecting CW’s interests …….
—————————————————————————————————————————
Charlotte ……. this raises serious questions ………. are you protecting someones interests ?
You can clear this up with a simple response ….. if you do not have the doc then there will be correspondance relating to it …….. yet nothing ………… or have we still to get to the Nuclear exit !
Or just tell me i’m …….. Wrong !
——————————————————————————————————————————–
Seperately, as i wrote ……. high burden of proof …… in relation to D&P …… I had a lightbulb moment as I realised that there is another piece of the puzzle that might be explainable ………. let me get the facts collated first to see if it holds water …. back later ! ………..
Clue …… Jerome + D&P
newtz says:
August 16, 2013 at 6:27 pm
—
“….It’s starting to unwind at last …”
—–
Certainly looking good in so far as a few hard questions are being asked.
James Forrest says:
August 16, 2013 at 5:04 pm
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/mysterious-ways/
Five Way Agreement may prove to be the most important document in all of this.
I’d like to see that published very soon
———————————————–
James, the “Contact Us” email address within OFOG is being bounced by Yahoo, is this still valid?
From JohnMcLean_HS67 on twitter, link to
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/football-league-admits-coventry-city-5741590
Which inclues the quote
“Under repeated questioning from the Telegraph, the League has confirmed publicly for the first time that it made an “administrative oversight” in registering Sky Blues players to Coventry City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd.”
———————————–
Amazing what information can be brought out when a newspaper asks some questions, eh? Unlike the papers that have studiously avoided the Rangers registration stories. (Inluding the other Telegraph!)
On Ogilvie, a man reputedly of reasonable intelligence, with brains in his head rather than in his feet. While even relatively intelligent professional footballers might not have the financial nous to question their EBTs’ legitimacy, like everyone else here I find it hard to understand how a man, on the kind of money most of us can only dream of, for being business-like and financially aware, can possibly not be suspicious, and ask questions, when presented with such an offer. If, on the other hand, we accept that, even he, took it in good faith, there’s a question I would like to suggest to Graham Spiers, or even a decent journalist, to use as a follow up to his excellent piece of succulent lamb style whitewash of CO, and it’s this:
Mr Ogilvie, if you saw no reason to question Rangers’ use of EBTs as a way of remunerating employees, why did you not introduce them at Hearts?
I’d suspect, in the unlikely event of an honest answer, he’d reply along the lines of:
Well, actually, I wasn’t sure they were altogether kosher, and didn’t want to risk being involved with introducing them elsewhere.
Or, if he genuinely had no doubts to their legitimacy:
To be honest, I’m a Rangers man through and through, and though Hearts were my employers, I only had loyalty to the club at Ibrox, and I didn’t want to diminish the financial advantage EBTs gave them. Besides, the shares held in my wife’s name were really mine, mine, mine, all mine, and I thought my lord David would turn them into gold! Shame they’re worthless now though.
newtz says:
August 16, 2013 at 6:27 pm
“Ah ha ….. you won’t find it CoT because that snippet is direct from the Regan letter to MM in response to CG letter …..”
—————————-
Thanks Newtz. I read Charlies response first which I thought would be more informative than Regan’s prompt but I’ll go back and have a thorough read at it.
I feel the need to caution concerning making demands of Charlotte. She may have vested interest (Alex Thomson alluded to this) or she may be an ordinary every day superhero. Using black box theory you can only surmise the content based on the inputs/outputs. Postulating on output we have not seen is a leap of logic and if Charlotte is working in our favour then it might be viewed as unreasonable to make demands (I can’t imagine you ever having saliva dripping down your chin Newtz).
However if you ask nicely she might rummage through her pile to find something that fits the bill.
newtz says:
August 16, 2013 at 6:27 pm
Newtz, how deep does your submarine go?
Is it yellow like CO and the rest of the SFA cohorts?
Every time a document appears, you are delving into its murky depths.
Doffs cap smiley.
TallBoy Poppy says:
August 16, 2013 at 5:10 pm
ecobhoy says:
August 16, 2013 at 1:33 pm
———————————————————————————————————————————————–
Like everyone else I have yet to see anything to firm up the story about the Easdales selling their bus company, but perhaps I might add fuel to the fire with this repost:
http://imageshack.us/a/img199/1541/ag9g.jpg
Perhaps wee Craig Whyte has decided to add to his collection?
http://busandcoachforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=17788
Next you’ll be telling me (-S)DM makes buses and the Easdales are customers of his. You really couldn’t make this stuff up.
============================================
The mind just boggles 😆
slimshady61 says:
August 16, 2013 at 3:59 pm
He knew what had been going on at Rangers that’s for sure and I’m sure we shall find him involved up to his covered ears, eyes and mouth in the 5 way agreement
Passed Firhill tonight and great crowd of Hearts fans heading to the game 😀
Castofthousands says:August 16, 2013 at 7:47 pm
——————————————————————–
CoT we can;t shy away from asking the hard questions, and I’m sure C understands, even appreciates that.
She can of course choose to ignore ….. no probs ….
For myself, I realised a long time ago that the Patrick Doc(s) were crucial to understanding the whole deal … The Regan letter confirms what has long been suspected ….. Novation …… sevco res11 actually confirms such and the initial accounts also stated this …… its just the actual mechanism
We can thus move forward …… collusion (CW/CG) or dirty deal (CG)
But the questions I raised now become starker ….. and need to be asked
It really does pose a big roadblock if not answered ….. or acknowledged ….. or simply I could be completely Left Field ……. no probs
StevieBC says:
August 16, 2013 at 4:16 pm
From a thread ‘header’ of a well known blogger on RM [won’t post link]
=======================================================
“…The old adage that “truth is the first casualty of war” has certainly held true. In the midst of all this carnage is a support rightfully concerned about their club and looking for answers and information…
…But in every war there is always collateral damage. Perhaps the lasting indictment of this conflict will be that the Rangers support will have to return to the Scottish press to glean objective, agenda free information, with regard to what is happening at our club. ”
==============================================
“Looking for answers and information” – but ignore that information if you don’t like the source, e.g. RTC.
“have to return to the Scottish press” – have they still not sussed out the Scottish press after all this time ?
The TRFC debacle – and their fans – are effectively a noisy irrelevance now, [ but highly entertaining 😉 ]
The print MSM is in terminal decline, and their woeful TRFC reporting is just helping that along.
The real interest – for me anyway – is the eventual confirmation of SFA corruption.
Once that is in the open, and generally reported and accepted as fact – we will then have the clearout and hopefully a rebranded ‘SFA’ fit for purpose.
================================================================
Obviously I haven’t seen the context in which the quote is set but I wonder if he means return to SMSM as opposed to official Rangers sources.
Part of the spiv plan from the start was to ensure that they controlled the news going to Bears by ensuring they went to the official RFC site for news. It appears to me that those operating Rangers fan sites were also ‘pressured’ into not posting articles in full from the official site but just to give a link to nudge up clicks and ad revenue. I’m sure that articles from SMSM were also discouraged.
And there was an obvious PR presence on a lot of sites moulding the way discussions were going and Ahmad IMO was far from alone in this activity.
I accept the SMSM is worse than useless but the Bears might be starting to think their own official sources are even worse and that an external viewpoint might be useful. So I see it as a hopeful sign albeit a tiny one. Anything that helps open-up the minds of any supporters is useful and can lead to positive results.
Castofthousands says:
August 16, 2013 at 7:47 pm
I feel the need to caution concerning making demands of Charlotte
_________________________________________________________________________
I think caution is good advice with regard to CtH. Recent material is clearly not from the same source as the CW email stuff which brought into play the dynamic between CW, D&P and CG.
One could speculate that CtH’s success has seen a queue of whistleblowers form, offering information from alternative sources. One might also speculate, as AT did, that there is a concerted effort in play which is concentrated pretty much on attempting to establish a link from Sevco (Scotland) to Sevco5088 and ultimately to Whyte.
To our ears and eyes, it appears pretty much an open and shut case if the emails are to be believed. The correspondence with the SFA is only a major embarrassment, and underlines the shady nature of Green’s ways of doing business, but it sheds little light on Whyte, who still hasn’t made use of this dynamite info to litigate.
CtH’s revelations in my view do not provide an account of what I believe to be a long-existing systematic corruption of Scottish football involving Murray, Ogilvie, the SFA, the press – and fleetingly – Whyte and Green. They selectively highlight alleged wrongdoing by Green and his crew, provide a firewall for Murray and Ogilvie and seek to put pressure only on TRFC. The drip-drip has gone long enough. So long in fact that a plumber should be called. Charlotte has no nukes to launch anywhere. I smell vested interest, which is always an enemy of truth.
newtz says:
August 16, 2013 at 8:08 pm
Castofthousands says:August 16, 2013 at 7:47 pm
——————————————————————–
CoT we can;t shy away from asking the hard questions, and I’m sure C understands, even appreciates that.
She can of course choose to ignore ….. no probs ….
For myself, I realised a long time ago that the Patrick Doc(s) were crucial to understanding the whole deal … The Regan letter confirms what has long been suspected ….. Novation …
======================================================
Newtz
Are we forgetting my old word of the week post re “novation” and BRTH follow through. CW was indeed novated.
Allyjambo says:
August 16, 2013 at 7:43 pm
As I said above he knew everything
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/ally-mccoist-id-be-open-to-rangers-fans-helping-run-ibrox.1376671396
I see McCpoist is earning his wages again by flying a possible fan-ownership kite or at least more fan involvement in running the club.
Why does my cynical mind thing that the fans are being set-up for another tranche of share purchases to let the spivs have another bite at the cherry and get a few more months’ running costs to complete their masterplan for Ibrox.
Let’s hope that Ally comes out and declares that any offer to fans should be based on shares at 1p – that’s the way to provide a real element of control. But this of course has nothing to do with fan power but just another scheme to pick their pockets yet again.
The problem of course is that some of the blazer fetish bloggers will support the plan all the way to claim the coveted brogues, blazer and tie although as Dave King didn’t get the brogues for his £20 million gawd knows how much the fans will be expected to raise this time 🙄
briggsbhoy says:
August 16, 2013 at 8:08 pm
Passed Firhill tonight and great crowd of Hearts fans heading to the game 😀
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I’m sitting watching the game on telly and enjoying it
Ally better hope its not these fans in charge, from RR:
16 Aug 2013 16:04:15
McColl, Green, Murray, Mather, Stockbridge etc etc are all a massive distraction from the REAL problem at Rangers, Ally “Millions” McCoist, he is not only robbing us blind he is rubbing our noses in it with his “one of the fans” BS, anyone taking that sort of money while the club makes backroom staff redundant is in it for himself and is not worthy to be Rangers manager, even at 10% of his current earnings he would be over paid based on his ability, and we know he will sign anyone at any cost to the club to keep his job. I can’t understand why the club want him but why some supporters back him completely baffles me, he is a liability we can ill afford and that’s without mentioning his schoolboy tactics and farcical formations.
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1.) 100% correct and also a 3rd rate manager at best but some fans love all this we don’t do walking away pi#h
But ally if your listening please walk away now your clueless as a manager FACT
KJA
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2.) And you know what he
earns how?
billy h
billy h is how ever part of the problem. obviously oh dear
Bangordub says:
August 16, 2013 at 4:36 pm
Nice comment re the contributions to TSFM and where the site is at present but I do note that sometimes the majority of posts are coming from a few old worthies (or Saddos).
I know from here and RTC that there are folks who lurk and do not contribute but hold similar views and concerns to those who do.
Like everyone else I am just an interested observer but I was wondering if TSFM could give a wee update to provide an indication of how many the site is reaching out to and perhaps allay fears there are only a handful of saddos talking crap to each other!!
Q. Have the SFA Board generated solutions?
Q. have the SFA Board made a positive contribution?
Q. have the SFA Board contributed anything?
Q. Are the SFA complicit in this mess? – Or just acting to save face and backsides [+fat pensions]
Q. Are the SFA Board fit for purpose?
Q. Are the SFA Board of any use whatsoever?
A. Answer’s please on the back of bugs whatsits engraved with a ten foot bargepole